Greek Small Letter Beta β

The Greek Small Letter Beta character (β) is a standard HTML entity defined in the HTML specification. In HTML source code, it can be written using the named entity reference β, the decimal numeric character reference β, or the hexadecimal numeric reference β. The character is assigned Unicode code point U+03B2 in the Universal Character Set.

Beta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet with extensive use in science and technology. It denotes the standardized regression coefficient in statistics, beta particles in nuclear physics, the beta function in mathematics, and beta testing in software development.

Greek letter entities are indispensable for scientific papers, engineering documentation, statistical analyses, and mathematical content published on the web. From physics equations using alpha and omega to statistical formulas featuring sigma and mu, these entities allow content authors to include Greek characters reliably without requiring specialized fonts or complex Unicode input methods on the keyboard.

When deciding how to encode the Greek Small Letter Beta character in your HTML documents, the named entity β is generally the most readable choice for developers reviewing or maintaining source code. The decimal form β and hexadecimal form β are equally valid alternatives that work in contexts where named entities may not be supported, or when generating HTML output programmatically from server-side code. All three representations produce identical visual output in every modern web browser.

Use the beta entity in statistical formulas, physics notation, financial analysis (beta coefficient for stock volatility), and software development content (beta release, beta testing). It is one of the Greek letters that has entered mainstream vocabulary through its use in technology.